Addis Ababa — Michael Mcnulty who heads the security section at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has described a group of six newly recruited female security officers as "the cream of Ethiopian society."

Speaking at their induction ceremony on 13 August in Addis Ababa, Mr. Mcnulty lauded the officers for defying stereotypes and completing their training as excellent performers.

"I was told that finding female recruits will be impossible by multiple people," he said, adding " I heard things like: there's no fitness culture for females in Ethiopia, and good female recruits don't exist in the security forces."

Those people were wrong then and they are wrong now, he emphasized, noting that "for each of the six officers you see here, there are over 100 candidates who did not make it."

The security chief urged his new recruits to take full advantage of the multiple career development opportunities offered by the UN, stating "I expect you to become leaders within the United Nations in the future."

Their induction came after weeks of intensive training in basic defensive tactics (BDT), fire safety, first aid, and elevator rescue among others.

Commenting on their BDT training, one of the recruits - Lemlem Gabretsadik - said "It was challenging and tough but the trainers were very good. They taught us how to use force on duty by considering the UN Use of Force policy."

Ms. Gabretsadik said she was "very happy" to be part of the training because it has made her ready and confident to do her job "to the highest standard possible as a UN officer."

Click here to watch the officers in action: https://youtu.be/bsHeUXZgHN0